A general invitation vide this link to participate in a helmet study is being conducted by UNSW but please note, the study is open to Sydney based cyclists and motorcycle riders only.

Some more detail for anyone interested ...

Pedal and motorcycle helmet performance study.

Over the past decade, little research has been conducted to assess improvements in helmet technologies and the reductions in head injury risk. The University of New South Wales (UNSW) School of Risk and Safety Sciences is therefore conducting a study on pedal and motor cycle crashes to evaluate helmet performance in the context of injury prevention.

Hi. 10 months ago I had the pleasure of having the gearbox on my 99 R1 seize as I changed into 6th gear heading back from a ride around the Hume Weir. As I was knocked unconcious in the accident and suffered PTA, this has only been pieced together from photos, mechanical investigation and prior knowledge of the way my bike used to act. I only purchased the bike 2 months prior to the accident and in hindsight, the gearbox was a bit lumpy and had a little trouble changing from 5th to 6th. It looks like the box seized (witnesses say I was not speeding as they were following in their car), locked the rear, and fishtailed wildly slamming me headfirst into the bitumen at 100kph. I slid 75 metres, hit a metal barrier and woke up unable to breathe due to a punctured lung. I broke my left collarbone, split my right shoulderblade, broke my T4 vertabrae and spent the next 2 weeks in hospital, followed by another 2 weeks in the SWBIRS head injury unit with major concussion, problems with processing information, massive problems with retaining information and general problem solving, along with a great deal of middle ear disruption resulting in poor balance and dizzyness. I still suffer a lot of upper back pain, altered information processing and less than average balance. I've been recovering well and I've returned to climbing over the last few months, though my confidence has been severely effected due to knowing I have poor balance and less than ideal information processing. Having lots of down time DID however, give me time to think about the way I approach climbing. It gave me time to analyse my own climbing style and research the approach that successful climbers take to achieve the amazing things that they do. My accident has taught me not to take life for granted, and to wake up to the fact that it can be lost at any moment without warning. I built a woody and started to really put into practice all the training techniques that Ive learned over this time, and I'm well on my way to climbing harder than I've ever climbed in my life. I just urge other motorcyclists to ALWAYS wear the most expensive leathers, helmet, boots and gloves that you can afford because you cannot look into the future and forsee all accidents and it was only my choice of apparrel which saved my life! I'm lucky that I have the choice to climb again, as many don't even have the chance to walk again or say goodbye to the ones they love. Please be careful out there!!!!!!!

It is good to know you are still with us and getting back to climbing.
Your profile reading adds further weight to your post above, and it is good (now), to get further confirmation of what actually happened regarding your m/cycle accident.

You may not remember* me, but I visited you with climbau while you were still in hospital and gave you the latest Crux mag to read!
(*It was not a long visit as your girlfriend and mum were there already).
At that time your bike was at a workshop but had not been investigated as to why it sent you off and sliding under an armco railing, managing to fit between two supporting uprights without cutting yourself in half,... only to finish in a drain!

Since 'climbau' has left the area I lost contact with how to find you, and wondered how things turned out ...

I will be up Buffalo over the coming holiday period, if you want some 1st hand beta regarding your other post on descending the Nth Wall options. PM me to get a compatible time.

[PS; we have also met earlier while climbing at The Rock, but that was quite a while back now].

On 28/11/2008 IdratherbeclimbingM9 wrote:>>... week is all but over now.> >If the weather is still rainy take it easssy on the road comrade.>... In fact that applies to new tyres anyway for the first 100 km (imo),>due new rubber is often quite slick till roughed up a bit with some wear.

Hey M9

Do you mind if I clear this up for you?

It's NOT a mileage thing. Most shops will use a scrubbing compound these days for you. The reason tyres are slippery is the silicone mould release coating.

Even if you ride over 500 km, if you never lean the bike over, your tyres will still be slippery. It takes little more amounts of lean angle to wipe off the coating and clean the rubber.

When I get new tyres fitted I'll GENTLY weave it along a straight piece of road tyring for a little bit more each time. Then I'll go find a roundabout and do a couple of laps, or a free way entrance , exit system. I like a little local hill to run up and down slowly, just for a few more edges. I can usually scrub new shoes 90% in, in less than 50 km. I say 90% percent because until I get out and have a serious play I won't get my chicken strips down, but that regime will have me down to about 1/2" strips front and back.

so once you've got rid of the release agent, you're pretty much good to go.

I guess I am fortunate due wearing in the tyres as you suggest, but largely by default, as I live / ride in hilly (good riding) country.
...~> although I admit to having done some initial weaving and also lapping some roundabouts, I find when my tyres are eventually stuffed they still have chicken strips!
~> The mystery to me is why the strips are wider on the rear tyre than on the front? Typical is only side whiskers on the front at end of tyre life, but probably closer to a centimetre on the rear, particularly on the left hand side. I have always considered this to be more to do with road camber, and possibly tyre pressures?

It never ceases to amaze me when I feel I am going reasonably hard (...say 80 to 90% of my perceived limit), and a 'real' rider cruises by me, on a line through a corner that I wouldn't consider sane.
Tried keeping up somewhat one time and scared myself spitless. Kind of like being a long way run out above no gear / bad gear, with a nasty landing below; ... found myself well heeled over approaching the apex and wondering if the tyres would hold the line. In the nanoseconds ticking by, .... one, .... by ... one, as I held the line, and forced on through the apex, I had time to wish the corner was finished, and could not believe I could hold the angle for as long as it took ...
My sense of perception was acute due the adrenalin, and I was aware of the pressure/backfeed on my inside handlebar palm as I maintained the line, beyond what I was unsure would hold.
I am glad to be still here to be able to tell of it, and I am not looking to repeat the experience any time soon.

> I am glad to be still here to be able to tell of it, and I am not looking> to repeat the experience any time soon.

It went earth / sky / earth / sky / earth / sky / ambulance !

Take it easy, but yeah, if in doubt push the bastard into the corner, because a) it'll probably do _way_ more than you think it can and b) if not, it'll most likely lowside, which is a lot less worse than highsiding or running straight off the road.

ha! did you feel your foot peg kick up under your boot? You still had more angle to go. It freaked me the first time it happened at an advanced rider course. After the 4th or 5th time I was hanging out for it.

You need to remember that the only reason bikes crash is because the rider did something. A bike is more stable without the rider and it will rail much faster through a given corner faster than the rider (most likely) can.

NEVER get sucked into riding other peoples pace, it WILL hurt you.

Have you read Twist of the Wrist I or II by Keith Code? They are good reading. Don't loan it out, you won't get it back.

M9 said: ...~> although I admit to having done some initial weaving and also lapping some roundabouts, I find when my tyres are eventually stuffed they still have chicken strips!
~> The mystery to me is why the strips are wider on the rear tyre than on the front? Typical is only side whiskers on the front at end of tyre life, but probably closer to a centimetre on the rear, particularly on the left hand side.:

It's a set up thing. Trail, rake and head angles basically. Mine wears the opposite. I get my rear to the edge but my front to about 3/8". Some-one suggested it was a tyre profile difference, Michelin have a different shape to Bridgestone and different to Dunlop. I also dropped to a 65 profile front for quicker turn in. I like that feeling better. Another person suggested it was a body position thing, if you hang off blah blah blah. I can't see it because if you hang off you need to use less lean angle. But I'm sure I sit much further forward than you, so that may have something to do with it.

Cornering fast is like leading a runout, it's just a head thing. The more you do it the more comfortable you get with it. The safest way to push out towards your cornering limits is to do a track day, then you have a good surface and no four wheeled road users to worry about.

This guys know's how to lay it over as well. There is talk of putting sliders on his elbows.

t's definitely a mental game but physics do limit what is capable in the end. Keith Code is a legend at putting it all together. The two main points that I think make for better conering is to look a long way through the corner (watch how far the GP guys crane their haeds around when cornering) and the old adage 'slow in, fast out'. That is set up with the right corner speed and and line and have a perfect exit line and speed. Also play with margin on the road as there a way to may obstacles that cause more than just pain and wear the right gear. Can never be said too many times and like a good bit or gear can add confidence to your psych..

>ha! did you feel your foot peg kick up under your boot? You still had more angle to go.

My bike is set up for trails as much as road. With its very high ground clearance, if I ever manage to get a footpeg to touch ground while cornering, then I reckon I would be in a lowside already!
My tyres are probably 70% road / 30% offroad, ... tends to not make me confident following a dedicated sports bike through the tar corners at their speed, ... but on the other hand if the road turns to dirt & ruts then I am in my element, and can kick/drift the tail out with throttle control to 'squirt' through the corners.

>look a long way through the corner
&>play with margin on the road

Good tips.
Last 'play' on Buffalo, I was riding within my limits and practicing varying my line (at fair dinkum cruising speed), half through corners to get more of a handle on the 'what if' situation before it ever arises ...

Looking where you want to go helps heaps. Conversely looking at the pothole, leaf litter (or other obstruction), invariably causes you to steer towards it!

>Have you read Twist of the Wrist I or II by Keith Code?
Not yet, but I am now looking to obtain those books.
Thanks for the tip.

(The OT that just won't die)
thinking about upgrading my little old v twin honda to either a mid size sport tourer no bigger than 1000cc or similiar size dual sport at the road oriented end of the equation. priority's are year round comfort (about a 20 min 100kmh commute all weather) and the ability to do a trip away two up occasionally. still researching bikes on more appropriate forums but all general advice welcome, chockstone sometimes does really seem like the source of all information.
but what i really want to know is how many kms is a lot/to many on a 2nd hand bike i would be doing most if not all my own servicing and have a reasonable handle on most things 4 wheeled but the comparitively high revving nature of bikes makes me unsure about their longevity.

On 17/01/2009 masterofrup wrote:>(The OT that just won't die)>... either a mid size sport tourer no bigger than 1000cc

If you're buying second-hand, the pre-VTEC Honda VFR-800 is a superb bike. I'm not 100% sure, but I think the old engine was phased out in 2001 or 2002. That era of VFR is often cited as being the perfect all-rounder, and it's a pretty accurate description. The bike that's closest in feel to that era of VFR is - in my opinion - the Triumph Sprint ST. 1050cc triple. I've had one for about 3 years now and love it. I do a mix of twisty mountain roads, freeway and inner city on my commute and it handles it all with aplomb. Comes with panniers standard as well. Food for thought.

Check out the KLR650. Cheap as chips. Simple to work on. I have done 600km in a day on mine, mix of dirt and tar (sore ar$e though). Good for road, good for fire trails (and can be used for single track if you are good - i am not). Spares are cheap. Decent fuel use. Can 2 up on them easily, even with some saddle bags. heaps of forums dedicated to them so plenty of info out there. I have enough confidence in mine that I will be using it to cross the Simpson.

Just not the most powerful thing out there.

I have always worked on my cars and was hesistant about working on my KLR. I did though and it is pretty easy.

how many km's? depends on - dirt or tar? country or city? commute or weekend? i went through the same thing and got a new KLR. needed a loan anyway and interst rate for new v's interest rate for 2nd hand = pay back close to the same but get a better bike.

I've got a 1989 GSXR 750 that has to have over 60000 on the clock i dont really know as it didnt have the OME speedo when i go it. Not that the one i've got works :) And is strong as the day it come from the factory,
VFR 800's are a great bike the only thing i dont like is the ABS..
I would get a Suzi but im bias....
At around the 18000 K's id be worried if it hasn't had a major service.